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The Importance of a Corner Man

Remember the movie Rocky?
In the first Rocky movie, Rocky
Balboa was a brand new fighter who didn’t know the ins and outs of what it took
to be a champion in the ring. He needed someone who had been there before,
someone who knew the strategies for success. Rocky needed a corner man who
could inspire him, guide him, instruct him, challenge him, correct him, and
push him to heights Rocky never could have imagined himself reaching. And
fortunately for Rocky he found one of the best corner men there ever was. An tough
as nails old dude named Mickey.

I listened to a podcast last week and the speaker was
talking about the importance of having a corner man.

Having a corner man is something that resonated
with me as I thought about my last six months of pursuing greater health and
fitness.

There has been multiple moments during the journey that I
have wished I had someone behind me advising me, pushing me, stopping me from going
too hard, and instructing me on what my next best steps should be. I’m fortunate
to have some good friends whose advice I trust, plus I’ve learned from reading multiple
books, listening to a few great podcasts and paying attention to the natural
feedback my body has given me. But I know that I could do have greater progress,
and avoid some of the injury setbacks I've encountered, if I had a more consistent
corner man to lead me.

The idea having a corner man is not exclusively for boxing
and fitness. It is an important concept in all facets of life.

Corner men are
mentors. They are trail guides. They are the ones who have gone before and who
can now instruct others on the right routes to take.

Great corner men push and
pull and bring out the greatest in those they are leading. They never let you
settle for less than your best. They inspire you to keep going when everything
in you wants to quit. And they have the fortitude it takes to throw in the
towel when it is necessary.

Let me encourage you to look for some corner men, or corner
women, in your life. Look around you because they are there. Who are the people
who can make you a better spouse, a better parent, a better boss, a better leader,
a better pastor, a better athlete, a better student, a better follow of Jesus?

You
can only take yourself so far, so identify and reach out to those people who have
gone before you and who can now lead you to places you never imagined yourself
going.

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